| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1965-07-26)July 26, 1965 (age 59) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American / Australian |
| Listed height | 198 cm (6 ft 6 in) |
| Listed weight | 88 kg (194 lb) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Washington (Atlanta, Georgia) |
| College | Georgia State (1985–1989) |
| NBA draft | 1989:undrafted |
| Playing career | 1989–2008 |
| Position | Shooting guard /small forward |
| Number | 7, 21 |
| Coaching career | 2014–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1989–1990 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1990 | Tulsa Fast Breakers |
| 1990–1991 | Rapid City Thrillers |
| 1991 | Atlanta Trojans |
| 1991 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1992–2005 | Melbourne Tigers |
| 1992–1993 | Capital Region Pontiacs |
| 2005–2006 | Brisbane Bullets |
| 2006–2008 | Adelaide 36ers |
| As coach: | |
| 2014–2016 | Hume City Broncos |
| 2016–2019 | Sydney Kings (assistant) |
| 2020–2021 | Altona Gators |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Lanard Copeland (born July 26, 1965) is an American-Australian professionalbasketball coach and former player. Born inAtlanta, Georgia, he played in theNational Basketball League (NBL) from 1992 to 2008.
Copeland played four years of college basketball forGeorgia State before going undrafted in the1989 NBA draft. He later signed as a free agent with thePhiladelphia 76ers out of the Southern California Summer Pro League.[1] He played in 23 games for the 76ers as a rookie in 1989–90, averaging 3.2 points per game.
For the 1990–91 season, Copeland joined the Tulsa Fast Breakers of theContinental Basketball Association (CBA).[2] However, on December 3, 1990, he was traded to theRapid City Thrillers.[3][4] Following the conclusion of the 1990–91 CBA season, he joined the Atlanta Trojans of theUnited States Basketball League.[5]
On August 30, 1991, Copeland signed with theLos Angeles Clippers. His stint with the Clippers lasted just three months as he was waived by the team on December 3, 1991.[6] Copeland returned to the CBA in December 1992, signing with theCapital Region Pontiacs.[7]
In 1992, Copeland moved to Australia where he joined theMelbourne Tigers, a team he remained with until 2005. During his time with the Tigers, Copeland played 449 games over 14 seasons, recording 9,862 points, 1,763 rebounds, 1,438 assists and 233 blocked shots. He won league championships in 1993 and 1997, and was named theNBL Grand Final MVP in 1997. He was also a member of theAll-NBL First Team in 1999 and 2002.[8]
Copeland departed the Tigers following the2004–05 NBL season and joined theBrisbane Bullets for the2005–06 season. He played just one season for Brisbane before joining theAdelaide 36ers for the2006–07 season. He played two seasons for Adelaide, retiring from the NBL following the2007–08 NBL season. In 532 career NBL games over 17 seasons, Copeland averaged 20.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.[9] His 10,735 points are ranked fourth all-time in NBL history.
| Games: | 532 |
| Points: | 10,735 (20.2) |
| Rebounds: | 3.7 rpg |
| Assists: | 3.0 apg |
| Steals: | 1.2 spg |
| Blocks: | 0.5 bpg |
| Field Goals: | 4078/9373 (44%) |
| 3-Pointers: | 1242/3569 (35%) |
| Free Throws: | 1337/1664 (80%) |
After retiring as a player, Copeland had a year coaching the GeelongBig V Division One Men's team.[10] He joined the Hume City Broncos in the Big V as head coach in 2014.[10] He continued to coach the Broncos up until 2016.[11] He was also head coach of the Haileybury College men's team which won the Victorian High School championship in 2014.[8]
On 6 April 2016, Copeland was named an assistant coach of theSydney Kings, appointed alongsideDean Vickerman to serve under newly appointed head coachAndrew Gaze, Copeland's long-time teammate at the Melbourne Tigers.[8] Copeland left the Kings when Gaze stepped down as coach after the2018–19 NBL season.
Copeland joined the Altona Gators of the Big V Division Two as men's head coach for the 2020 season.[12][13] He left the program following a disrupted 2021 season.[14]
and Basketball Reference